Salt Point State Park

We camped here on a recent trip up north, and found it to be a pretty, quiet and really nice campground. The camp hosts were very nice and accommodating, and the site was clean and large. Bathrooms were kept up well. There are no showers, but we were only there for a night so it didnt matter. The park itself is beautiful, and we loved the walk down to the beach overlook — had to climb down and enjoy climbing around on the rocks at water level, it was great! I would stay here again.

Decided to take a sudden camping trip for the weekend by the coast… Well it was difficult at first, hence the ocean campgrounds are always booked, but we found this place north of the Russian River (by the way it’s a beautiful drive to the location). The camp ground was awesome with limited spaces available but all are big and have tables with fire pits. Rest rooms are clean and the hike to the ocean is less than 1 mile. The down side is no showers available… Otherwise the place is awesome… You can sleep great at night with the sound of big ocean waves crashing…

One reason why I love the SF Bay Area and will always miss it is simply the abundance of beautiful outdoor recreation areas. The options are plentiful, and I love finding new spots to explore. Recently explored: drive a couple hours north from San Francisco, and you’ll find yourself in Salt Point State Park.
Salt Point seems to offer a little bit of everything — rock formations, tide pools, coves, woods, fields, and even an impressive waterfall mere minutes from the main road. There are about 20 miles of hiking trails you could check out, or you can even just bring a lunch to enjoy out by the coast. Oh, and definitely bring your camera. The views are pretty sweet.
Exploring the area? Here are some tips to make it a legit road trip adventure:
–Drive up the 1 and enjoy the windy roads and epic views
–Try grabbing some oysters at Hog Island on your way up or back down
–Stop by Bodega Bay for some beach time and bites
–Follow the Russian River out and spend some time in Guerneville for some time in the woods or a stay in some cottages
–Make a slight detour on your way back to do some wine tasting near Sebastopol
Ah, yes, I will definitely be back. Word of warning, though: there are definitely some ticks in the grassy areas.

Gerstle Cove Campground
The campground its self is ok. been to better kept state campgrounds. Their quiet time is a bit reversed than most state parks. 10am-​8pm, most places is reverse 8am-​10pm.
The campgrounds were INFESTED WITH TICKS AND FLEAS! The kind of ticks that carry LIMES DISEASE!
Seems they could do something? Like mow down the LONG grass and spray something that is environmentally safe. Beware with your children and pets!

Stayed at Gerstle Cove Campground for President’s Day/Valentine’s Day weekend. Perfect weather for the Sonoma Coast.
The campsites were not on top of each other, compared to other campgrounds, say Wright’s Beach. They’re comparable to Bodega Dunes. There are multiple restroom facilities with lights, running water, flushing toilets, plenty of toilet paper, and 2 electrical outlets. They were often cleaned and replenished. No issues with trash, grime, etc. The park also has a bunch of big trash bins and recycling units. No wood collecting permitted, so buy it there or ahead of time. The fire puts were well maintained and were at least 2 feet deep. The campsites have lockers, please use them. Racoons are abound and tried to get into our lockers and coolers.
From Gerstle Cove campsite loop, it is a mere 0.3 miles straight downhill to the coast.
The reason to visit this state park is to see the pristine waters of Gerstle Cove Marine Reserve and the tidal pools. You cannot collect or fish in the reserve, but are permitted to fish and collect outside of it.
In our short stay, the rangers constantly patrolled the loop, as well as the host and a CA Highway Patrol officer. It is definitely safe, clean and quiet (quiet hours 10 pm — 6 am).

Best nights sleep ever! Tent camping was quiet and relaxing. Visitors center was not open which was sad and no showers… hey a girl likes to shower. But would love to go back again!

We booked our spot at Salt Point beginning of February and decided to go with Gerstle Cove campground. You can’t pick which site you want when you make a reservation, but it’s wise to book as early as possible to ensure you get a spot. The Woodside campground was much larger and on the other side of Hwy 1. Gerstle Cove was on the coast side of Hwy 1 and has a total of 30 sites, including a few handicap spots and one group spot that allows up to 40 people and 10 cars! I believe the group site is off on it’s own, down a ways from the Gerstle Cove loop of sites. Check in time was 2pm and check out time is noon. We arrived around 3pm and were able to chose from a few sites that were left. It was nice to have the option to drive around and view the available sites so we could pick which one we wanted. We chose site #10 because it seemed like the most spacious of what was available. Site #7 was the one I wanted, and man-​o-​man, that’s a sweet spot. If you can snag #7, take it! Site #4 and #11 were okay too, and site #9 looked nice and private, although there’s a beach trail in between #9 and #10, so if you don’t mind the occasional person or family walking past your site to get down to the beach, you’ll be good.
Of all the places I’ve camped, Salt Point takes the award for the best camping bathrooms ever. They have real toilets that flush, a nice sink with room to park your toiletries while you do your business, and plenty of toilet paper. They cleaned and restocked the bathrooms every day that we were there. There are no towels or mirrors, but that’s to be expected. Please don’t be the jackass that tries to shower in the bathroom while everyone is waiting outside to use the toilet. You’ll quickly become «that guy» and no one will like you. Kidding… sort of. But in all seriousness, people were pretty respectful in keeping the bathrooms clean and taking their military type showers outside with the water spout. If you really need to shower, you can drive about 2 miles up Hwy 1 and visit Ocean Cove campsite where you can pay $ 2 for a 5 minute shower, plus $ 8 if you want to park your car inside the grounds while you shower. We parked in the Ocean Cove store parking lot and just walked in and found the showers, eventually.
You can buy firewood for $ 6 per bundle and $ 2 for kindling from the site host. We went through way more wood than we thought we would, so bring plenty of cash. We were there for 4 nights and spent over $ 100 on wood. I was glad I brought that much cash because camping without a fire in the morning and evening is a bummer. The Ocean Cove market up the road had some fire wood for sale too.
You have no cell reception up there so if you do need a phone, the Ocean Cove store will let you use theirs for a buck, and if you drive a bit further down the road, you’ll find Stillwater Cove and they have a payphone you can use with a calling card or credit card… it didn’t take my quarters. There were people charging their phones in the bathrooms at the campgrounds… but I would not recommend this. Just bring an external battery if you really need your tech devices while you camp. We brought a solar charger for our tablets so we could read, and it worked out well as there was plenty of sunshine.
There were a few trails that led down to the beach. One was in between site #9 and #10 and the other was near #7. The one between #9/#10 was a bit more steep but still an easy, quick hike down to the coast. The other was a little more flat so it may be better for kids. Both were lovely trails although not super challenging. Definitely worth exploring the area though. We took a morning hike out to the coast and it was awesome. There are places you can drive and park in case you’re not into walking/​hiking. There’s a marine reserve you can check out as well. Lots of stuff to do at Salt Point. Stump Beach is right up the road and worth checking out… same with Still Water Cove.
The only bad part about our trip was the wind. I understand that camping on the coast you’re bound to get some wind action, but this was unreal. The first two days were foggy yet warm, with no wind at all. The third day we were there the wind started up around 3pm in the afternoon and didn’t let up. All our stuff was blowing all over the place and we had to tie everything down even more than we already had. Our site was pretty open, so I’m sure some other folks weren’t feeling the wind like we were due to having some protection from the trees. I hear Woodside campground is much more protected from the coastal winds, so that may be where we stay next time we head to Salt Point. We ended up leaving our last night because we just couldn’t take it anymore. We decided to pack up and go so we could get home and get a good nights sleep rather than fight our flailing tent all night because of the wind. We had a great time though, and I’d go camping again at Salt Point in a second. I loved our time there, and can’t wait to book our next trip.

Nice state park with stunning ocean views comprehensive camping & nice clear trails for hiking

One of the most pleasant and surprising places you can visit. Where do I begin. Let’s start with the rangers and everyone running the park. They are so lovely. Their passion and knowledge is infectious. They are very sweet, kind and welcoming! We toured Stump Beach all the way to the Chinese Gulch. Learned about so many California Native Plants and the different animals and sea life in the area.
The campground at Gerstle Cove was very clean and spacious. The reservation we made allowed up to 8 people. Bring plenty of firewood, it’s $ 6 a bundle sold by a local at the entrance. You will need lots of wood because it gets pretty cold. Put away your food, hide it in a car or in the box they provide you. But if you use the box they provide you put a heavy box in front for further protection. These animals are wild and they are hungry. They tore up a box and ate our nuts. Do not feed the animals, it messes with the eco system.
Overall a super fun, family friendly, water activity friendly environment.
I recommend staying at Fort Ross Lodge after your camping adventure if you have a long journey home. It’s a great place to relax and recover. Also it’s mostly cold and windy and drizzly so pack layers and be sure you have elevation from the ground when you sleep. The bathrooms in the morning can get kind of backed up, shout out to the people who use the bathroom for the toilet only. no joke, people try to shower in the sinks and it’s a complete waste of water and very inconsiderate to all the other people who actually need to use the toilet. There are outlets in the bathroom. There’s no hand soap, but plenty of toilet paper and it was pretty clean overall. Quiet time 8pm onwards, but the campgrounds are so spread out it’s very peaceful.

Five of us came to Gerstle Cove for an impromptu camping weekend. I’m definitely not a camper but I have to be honest and say my experience at Salt Point was very enjoyable.
Pros:
Bathrooms– were actually really clean with flush toilets. They came and cleaned the bathroom every morning and the guest staying there during my trip were very respectful and kept it clean. I was pleasantly surprised.
Quiet/​Relaxing– we had campers all around us but no one was really loud and everyone went to bed at a reasonable hour.
Hikes– There is a nice trail to the cliffs/​beach. We did the stroll with our morning coffee and it was perfect.
Cons:
No showers. We had to go to another campsite to take a shower.
Drive– be warned. you may get car sick

Great campgound for the whole family! Minutes away from the Gerstle Cove and Fort Ross for exploring. Salt Point State Park has two campsite – we stay at the Gerstle Campsite area. Our campsites were #27 & 28. We were with three other family so that was perfect for all of us and our tents. Also we were close to the bathroom so good for the kids. No showers but the bathrooms are clean and well stocked with toliet paper. Since it had no shower facility. probably would not be consider a good campground for stays longer then a few days. We stay Friday night and left Sunday and that was more then enough for us to enjoy the camp life there! I did read about the birds around the campsites… and it is true. They were not afraid to get pretty close to our camp. Over all a good campground – just wish it wasn’t so far (also 3 hrs driving from Martinez).

One Independence Day weekend my other half was traveling abroad and I had to figure out what to do. Well… I wanted to go camping, I decided a couple days in advance, but to my surprise every campground in the 3-​hour vicinity of the Bay Area was booked… except for this one last spot here at Salt Point State Park!
I booked it immediately and the next day headed up there… along with my dog! The drive up the Sonoma/​Mendocino coast is stunning. The further north I got, the foggier and more damp it all got. And once I got to the campground, I could barely see the neighboring tent! But I wasn’t discouraged by this… I was excited to spend a few days hanging out by myself and just doing… nothing…nada!
The campground itself is equipped with a basic toilet/​wash house but no showers. The nearest grocery store is about a 10-​minute drive away and features the most basic things that will keep you alive. I suggest though to bring everything you need… and just stay put.
There’s some nice walks in the area; walks along the cliffs, tide pools as well as a nearby redwood forest. The little town of Jenner is also worth a visit; especially the one café by the beach where they have great sandwiches. The café is called Aquatica.

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT HERE!!!
It was so beautiful, trails to the beach were great!
Only negative was that the toilets got backed up and the trash never seemed to be taken out, it was overflowing, looked/​smelt gross, and the raccoons had a field day.
We will be back!

close to the bay area, but feels remote and miles away. After looking at all 3 campgrounds, Gerstle seemed too open, and the lower campground had more privacy than the upper campground. We arrived on a Sunday, so most spots were available and not many campers around. We chose campsite # 57, but many good spots with privacy. #57 had the faucet on site and restrooms nearby. Many of the food lockers have been repaired, but some are still in bad shape (holes, falling apart, etc).
As others mentioned, the fog and condensation can make it real wet, so be prepared. On one morning, it felt wet until around 11am. When sleeping, the waterdrops falling from the tree above our tent sounded like slow but constant rainfall. Didn’t bother me but it bothered my wife. Campsite has good privacy due to the thick forest, and felt really «green».
We hiked the trail down to Gerstle cove, and had a picnic lunch overlooking the cove– awesome! My family really enjoyed the various tidepools along the Salt Point Trail, getting our feet wet and seeing all kinds of sea life. Too many fantastic views to take a panorama or family photo.
The second night was the wife’s birthday, so we drove 5 minutes to the Ocean Cove Grill for dinner and ate gritting di mare while enjoying the Ocean view. Woodpeckers, blue jays and other birds are a nice company, and really enjoyed our time there. The ranger and campsite hosts are awesome. And while there are no showers, Ocean Cove campsite showers are only 5 minutes away… Unless your beliefs don’t allow u to shower while camping.

Salt Point State Park covers nearly 10 square miles of rugged coastline on Highway One on the Sonoma Coast. There are two state campgrounds: Gerstle Cove, 30 drive-​in sites including a group campsite on the ocean side of the highway; and to the east of Hwy 1 is Woodside, 79 sites of which 20 are walk-​in and 10 are hike/​bike. Dogs are allowed at the drive-​in sites so best to check ahead.
If you’re up for a long drive on narrow roads that twist through redwood canyons and along rocky cliffs, you’ll be rewarded by stunning views of the Sonoma coast, miles of hiking trails, and the charm of weathered barns, grazing sheep and fresh oysters at the local grocery store.
Your drive from most areas will include a freeway drive on 101 to either Petaluma or Santa Rosa. The Petaluma routes go through hilly ranch land to Hwy 1 at either Tomales or most commonly, Bodega Bay. The most direct route — River Road, four miles north of Santa Rosa, will get you from 101 to Jenner in just under an hour. From there, you’ll average 30 mph as you drive through some of northern California’s most amazing coastal views on your way to Salt Point. NOTE: there are several one-​way spots where the highway’s being repaired, so check ahead for possible delays.
We used to stay here as college kids in wetsuits, climbing down through the kelp forests to pry elusive 9-​inchers out from under rocks in the murky depths. Now, I’m content to remain above the surface and stick to the hiking trails. But the divers and fishers still come.
We stayed at Gerstle Cove, in site 24 — a level, handicap-​accessible site with lots of room and a brand new storage locker. Except for some road noise (sites 21 – 27 are near the highway), the camp was very quiet. Sites 5,7,9 are very private. Site 6 is close to the bathrooms if that’s important to your group. There are no showers.
Tip: Jays will aggressively peck at your food, even crumbs, even unopened packages, ANYTHING that looks like it could contain food. Pack everything away, even if you’re just running to the bathroom. Even your citronella candle will be pecked open by these pesky birds!
Bring your dogs, but know they are not allowed on most trails, and at most Sonoma County beaches! You can hike with dogs («wink and a nod» basis) by driving to Kruse Rhododendron park and walking the fire road, but it’s dusty. Stillwater Cove beach is dog-​friendly but leash law may or may not be enforced there.
If you want a break from camp cookin’, nearby Ocean Cove Grill is the best bet for great food, drinks, view and hospitality.
We had a great time on our most recent trip and we’ll be back!
The rangers were really helpful and Jacque especially enjoyed her job, going above and beyond to make sure we had a good stay.

Salt Point State Park is great. We stayed in Woodside. Now, there is no site specific reservation, which is my only complaint. The pickings can get slim, but for the most part the sites are large, a few are huge, and very few had no pitch at all.
The rangers are there later than I expected them, so checking in was a breeze. We found a good site, circled back to check in then began pitching camp. We heard some folks singing in the distance and we had some chronic laughter from the next site, but all in all, it wasn’t any worse than other campgrounds. One awesome thing: the campsites all have lots of trees and still have grass. The ground hasn’t been trampled to fine silt!
While there are no showers, it’s no big deal. You can rinse after diving by the water… Bathrooms can get busy and lines will form. Especially, if TP runs out in one of the bathrooms.
We came to try the dive park at Gerstle Cove and to dive for abalone south of there. The ranger station had high and low tide on a white board. That was excellent. There is parking pretty close to the water, which made getting in easy. We were not the only divers, I’d say over half the folks there were diving for abalone. I say this again because just before dark, when everyone is cleaning their abalone, it sounds as if someone is having a barn building, as everyone is hammering the hell out of their abalone. After it dawned on me what it was, I was fine. Up til that moment, however, I was puzzled.
There are a couple shops not terribly far away. You could food/​beer/​wine and some fishing gear. There was a bar/​restaurant near by that was fairly nice, family friendly, but most importantly the food was good. It shares space with a hotel/​motel.
Also, hiking was nice, tidepools were lovely, and the drive to and from was great.
Everyone was super crazy nice and fun. My favorite Rangers yet.

Came back by bike this time. Several things I noticed.
Tip #1 — bathrooms get busy. Instead of stalls they’re private bathrooms so sometimes there can be a line as everyone car camping wants to do everything inside. Try to use brush your teeth, etc at your site and save the bathroom for the toilets.
Tip #2 — though there are food lockers they are falling to pieces. Store your food in your car or tent.
Tip #3 — rangers are super nice. They waved us through to our site and said we could come back to the hike/​bike site if it got too crowded. Though officially the site only holds 8 people we had 11 staying there in small tents/​bivvy sacks — they never came by to check.

We had about 15 people camping at the group campsite, and I was very pleased with everything. Ranger Todd, who was a pleasant ranger, helped us when we arrived, moved us to the group camp site, and directed friends who arrived after dark to us without issue. We were fairly isolated, which makes for better camping, as we did not have to worry about being too loud too late, and the nearest people to us were probably a 10 minute walk down the road, and in campers. The trails are not marked in the best way, but the hiking and exploration is fun, the coastline is beautiful, and the camp sites are not bad. The bathrooms actually have toilet paper, which is always a pleasant surprise. The one thing to be careful of is the raccoon population, we had two living in our dumpsters and they are ballsy sons of guns.
Enjoy your camping.

This place is unbelievable. It is hard to believe it was not turned in to a national park. We love to hit a 7.4 mile turnaround trail. We’ve shot hundreds of pictures here.
The only drawbacks are the poorly maintained trail (in spots) and the fact that it costs $ 8 a day (even though many dishonest people don’t pay the self-​registration).

Other campgrounds and state parks should bow down to Salt Point.
This place is unreal. Where the land meets the sea and man becomes small.
We camped for two nights at Woodside for more privacy and warmer climate. Can’t really beat that now.
We have claimed #48 as the perfect site, as it is surrounded by trees and nestled down from the road. Private, clean, and so so beautiful.
Each site includes:
–A Fire Pit with grill
–A Picnic Table
–A Semi-​Durable Raccoon Cabinet *to put your goodies in so the coons can’t get em*
There is a nice Camp Host who sells fire wood at $ 6/​bunch kindling $ 2 or $ 3.
This place, this park, is simply gorgeous. We hiked for hours along the ocean and discovered the coves and beaches that are so quiet even on weekends.
I will never forget my first time here!
Do bring soap though, as there isn’t any in the bathrooms.
That’s the only thing I had an issue with.